In response to your
letter of 11 July 2002, in which you asked ICANN to describe the reform
and evolution process going forward, I wanted to let you know what steps
are underway to complete this process, hopefully by the time of our Shanghai
meeting in late October.

In Bucharest, as you note, the Board of Directors of ICANN passed a resolution
to "adopt and endorse" the Blueprint for Reform produced by
the Board's Evolution and Reform Committee
(ERC). This resolution sought to put in place the structural skeleton
for ICANN reform, and instructed the ERC to move ahead with implementing
that plan. In addition, the resolution charged the ERC with taking "due
account" of a number of specific issues raised in the public forum
portion of the meeting as it moved forward in the implementation process,
including:

the need to "ensure, to the extent feasible, geographic and cultural
diversity in all parts of ICANN structure;"

the possibility of "creation of an At Large Advisory Committee
as a potential vehicle for informed participation in ICANN by the broad
user community;"

the need to "ensure that the composition and operation of the
Nominating Committee in fact represents a balance among all segments
of the Internet community;"

the desirability of collaboration "with critical infrastructure
providers and the technical community to further the establishment of
effective working relationships;" and

the need to "ensure that ICANN's policy development processes
enhance and promote a transparent bottom-up process."

On 15 July 2002, the ERC issued its first
status report, which both reported on progress to date and announced
the initiation of two assistance groups on specific implementation issues.
It also described its intention to provide reports to the community on
implementation progress on a monthly basis, leading up to its final recommendations
for Board action in Shanghai, which it expects to publish on or about
1 September 2002. This announcement is attached for your convenience.

The ERC expects to follow a process very similar to that used to produce
the Blueprint for Reform  the solicitation and receipt of input
from all interested persons to the ERC, the publication of that input
on a publicly available website, the periodic reporting to the community
of the ERC's present thinking on particular implementation topics, and
the solicitation of feedback on those reports and any specific issues
raised in them. In addition, the ERC will seek assistance from members
of the community on specific issues within the implementation process.
Issues for which assistance has already been sought include (1) a
number of what might be described as accountability issues, including
the charter for the Office of Ombudsman, the independent review process
for allegations of bylaw violations, and ICANN's Reconsideration Policy,
and (2) the specific procedures and timelines for the policy development
process relating to matters within the primary competence of the Generic
Names Supporting Organization. Other such efforts are likely to be announced
in the near future.

Finally, individual Board members, including those serving on the ERC,
and ICANN staff are in very regular contact with all of the constituent
bodies of ICANN, including in particular the supporting organizations
and advisory committees specifically referenced in your letter, and with
the various technical and standards organizations that are part of the
ICANN community. This includes the Governmental
Advisory Committee, whose Communique
and Statement
on ICANN Evolution & Reform in Bucharest was very helpful and
has been carefully reviewed by the ERC and the Board, and whose continued
input is both solicited and welcome. Through these informal contacts,
discussions with individual members of the ICANN community, and review
and participation of numerous mailing lists and forums, the ICANN Board
and staff tries, we believe successfully, to ensure that we understand
the views and concerns of all interested persons and entities, and to
take those into account in making recommendations and ultimately decisions
about how ICANN will be structured and function in the future. Obviously,
given a wide spectrum of different and often conflicting opinions, not
all ideas and suggestions can be incorporated, but they are all carefully
considered.

In sum, we are trying very hard to ensure that all points of view on
these important matters are solicited, welcomed and considered, and that
the result of this process will be an ICANN structure and procedures that
both enable ICANN to do its work effectively and are the product of the
collective thinking of the entire ICANN community. The unanimous Board
vote on adopting and endorsing the Blueprint for Reform  given
that the Board consists of three members each selected by the three Supporting
Organizations of ICANN, five members selected by direct on-line regional
voting, and four original members  is strong evidence that
the evolution and reform process to date has been both successful and
broadly representative of the aggregate views of the ICANN community.
We are committed both to continuing this process and, we certainly anticipate,
to producing a final evolution and reform plan that receives broad community
support.

Thank you for your continuing participation and interest in this process,
and we certainly welcome any thoughts or suggestions you might have on
either the process or the ultimate recommendations. For your convenience,
we will forward directly each of the monthly status reports issued by
the ERC. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Sincerely,

M. Stuart Lynn

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